based on the vyakhyanam of Sri Periyavaccan Pillai
by Smt Sumithra Varadarajan

Paasuram-8
veruppOdu samanar mundar vidhiyil sAkhiyargal * ninpAl
poruppariyanagalpEsil pOvadhe nOyadhAgi
kurippenakkadaiyumAgil koodumEl thalayaiAngE
aruppadhe karumam kandAi ArangamAnagarulAnE

veruppOdu samanar mundar vidhiyil sAkhiyargal: In this world we see many types of people. Each one says different philosophies. Some argue that there is no god. Some say everything is going on due to nature(kapila matham) and some talk about paramAnukkal(vaisheshekas) as the sole cause of everything. Alwar here says that these people talk with a hatred towards the god. They do not want to accept the Vedas and the bhagavan, who has been told in the Vedas. The jains, the buddhist and the sankhya philosophies talk ill of the emperuman which alwar is unable to tolerate. Alwar is irritated by these philosophies to such an extent that his anger is shown clearly in this paasuram. Though alwar is a parama bhAgavatan, who has won over his kamA and krodhA, here alwar talks very severely since he wants to strongly enforce the mistake in the other philosophies.

poruppariyanagalpEsil pOvadhe nOyadhAgi: These people talk rubbish. They talk ill of Krishna and rAma and also our philosophy. How can a true bhaktha tolerate it? Will we keep quiet if someone talks ill of our father or mother? Won't we pounce on them? Such is the state of azhvar in this pAsuram. He tried to change those people with crooked thinking with his words but they never changed due to their poorva janma vAsanas and karma palan. Alwar says it is like a disease for them to talk ill of Sriman Narayana which can never be cured. This disease is harmful since it not only kills the person having it, it is also sometimes contagious, so alwar doesn't want to leave those persons aloof.

kurippenakkadaiyumAgil koodumEl: But can alwar become so ferocious? In bhAgavatam we site a story were a king named vEnan became intolerable. He commanded all the yaga yajnas in the country to be stopped and ordered that only he should be worshipped by one and all. The rishis became very unhappy and went to advice him. The king said, "When iam here the pratyaksha deivam taking care of all your needs why do you pray anyother god? Even the scriptures preach that treat a king like the bhagavan himself." For which the rishis replied that it has been said only to treat him like a bhagavan since he is saving the people under him and not to make him the bhagavan and stop worshipping the supreme Maha Vishnu. VEnan was in no position to listen to their advice so they finally burnt him to ashes. Sadhoos first try to change the people by their sweet words, if they don't listen and go to the extend of illtreating bhagavan and bhAgavatas and become intolerable they punish. Now alwar is in the same state of mind and hence he says,

thalayaiAngE aruppadhe karumam kandAi ArangamAnagarulAnE : so now the final way out is only to chop their head off says alwar to the emperuman who stays in Srirangam. Is this correct on alwar's part, analyses PVP. He says it is like giving a pasu bali in yAgam which gives good palan to both the person who is doing the yAgam and the pasu also, as it attains nalla gathi(good fate).